Chinese antiques show reveals husband’s 300,000 baht Tang Dynasty painting

China’s vibrant 5,000 year old culture is teeming with historical artefacts, ranging from blue porcelain and famous paintings to the invention of scripts. However, as time has passed, many of these items have been lost, making preservation increasingly difficult. The rarity of these artefacts has given rise to a bustling trade in Chinese antiques, with some willing to pay astronomical sums for items that hold historical and temporal value.

At a popular Chinese antique appraisal show, a woman surnamed Ha presented a painting for evaluation. The first thing she admitted after taking the stage was that she didn’t buy the painting herself. This left viewers puzzled, questioning how she came to possess the artwork. She then explained that her husband had shown her the painting of an angel every day, which led her to feel a twinge of jealousy. As a result, she decided to have the painting appraised on the show, hoping that the experts could determine its worth and charm.

“My husband was the one who bought this painting. He studies it every day, and there’s a beautiful woman in it. I felt a bit jealous, so I brought it to the appraisal show. I hope the experts can help me understand what’s so interesting about this painting,” she said.

She further explained that her husband had an intense fascination with studying paintings and the invention of scripts. However, as their family was not particularly wealthy, he had refrained from purchasing overly expensive works. Yet, when he saw this particular painting, he immediately paid for it.

After evaluating the painting and consulting among themselves, the experts asked Ha if she knew who the woman in the painting was. She shook her head. The experts then revealed that the woman was Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. They speculated that the painting was likely the work of Yang Zhiguang, a renowned artist of the time, and valued it at a minimum of 60,000 Yuan (approximately 300,000 Baht). The experts encouraged Ha to appreciate her husband’s find as it was a valuable artefact that had been lost since ancient times.

Upon hearing the experts’ assessment, Ha felt relieved. In reality, her husband hadn’t spent much on the painting, perhaps only a few thousand Yuan. However, he had managed to acquire a genuine Chinese antique, which had now appreciated to 60,000 Yuan (or around 300,000 Baht), reported Sanook.

In today’s society, more people are collecting cultural relics, which greatly aids in their proper preservation. At the same time, these cultural relics are highly valuable for research. In a history spanning 5,000 years, no book can fully record all these treasures, and what is found are only fragments. Therefore, Chinese antiques like paintings and scripts are the most complete representation of cultural identity.

Follow more of The Thaiger’s latest stories on our new Facebook page HERE.